Key Points
- ACOSS partnered with the University of NSW to examine which groups were at risk of poverty in their lifetimes.
- One in eight people, on average, lived below the poverty line in 2019-20.
- A majority of people who relied on government support lived in poverty and current payments were "totally inadequate"
Renters, single parents, women, students, the unemployed and people with a disability are the Australians most at risk of poverty, a new study has found.
The Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS) partnered with the University of NSW to examine which groups were at risk of poverty in their lifetimes.
The study found the depth of poverty experienced by Australians on income support payments was severe.
On average, one in eight people, including one in six children, lived below the poverty line in 2019-20.
Based on 50 per cent of median incomes, the poverty line is $489 a week for a single adult and $1,027 a week for a couple with two children.
The study found poverty in Australia was highly gendered and affected single-parent families, migrants from non-English speaking backgrounds and people living with a disability at above average rates.
One in five renters (20 per cent) and more than half the people in public housing lived below the poverty line.
This compared to 10 per cent of mortgage holders and eight per cent of homeowners without a mortgage.
Households which relied on Youth Allowance were in the deepest poverty and their incomes were on average $390 a week below the poverty line.
For people on the JobSeeker payment, 60 per cent lived in poverty.
According to Cassandra Goldie, the head of ACOSS, the report revealed that most individuals who depended on government assistance lived in poverty, and the current payments were completely insufficient to cover their basic needs. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
"This report provides further evidence of the need for a poverty reduction package in the May budget," she said.
The welfare advocacy organisation is urging the government to lift income support payments to at least $76 a day, double rent assistance and increase supplements for single parents and people living with a disability.
UNSW researcher Carla Treloar said the report revealed the role government policies played in determining poverty.
"The depth of poverty experienced by young people on Youth Allowance is unacceptable," she said.
"We see every day on campus the impact that this has on students who are struggling to pay for essentials while trying to complete their degrees."
On Tuesday night, Labor MP Alicia Payne and Liberal MP Bridget Archer launched the cross-party parliamentary friends of ending poverty group.
The pair intend to put a spotlight on poverty in Australia and are advocating to an increase to the Jobseeker payment.
The group will provide a non-partisan forum to discuss the impact of poverty in Australia and how the parliament can address it.
